Ways to sing when you can’t sing

During Covid lockdown, we could finally meet together with a lot of restrictions. One of those restrictions was no singing. How could we do Singing Time in Primary but not sing?

Ways-to-Sing-when-you-can't-sing-page-1 Ways-to-Sing-when-you-can't-sing-page-2

 

I came up with these cards and sent them to my Primary Music Leaders in the Stake. The cards still work today even though we can sing now because it’s about getting the songs into the memory.  Here are the instructions for each card:

Clap the Rhythm – clap the rhythm of the song (not the beat, clap the rhythm of the tune).

Whisper the Words – whisper the words of the song. We can whisper sing now which brings instant reverence to a song such as “I am a Child of God” or “Heavenly Father Loves Me”.

Stand when you hear this – choose a word for the children to stand up when they hear it.

Think Sing – the children need to think the words in their head while they listen. We were able to have one person sing, so the children could hear the song many times over and get it in their head. Having that repetition now still helps for rote learning.

Conduct the Beat – have the children conduct the beat to the time signature of the song.

Hold Nose and Say Words – plug your nose and sing – or just say the words if you’re not able to sing.

Cover Ears and Say Words – (or sing them). Such a fun way to revise a song, because it means you can only hear yourself sing. It’s aurally different.

Stomp Feet to the Beat – stand up and stomp your feet to the beat. This works for songs in a strong C time or 4/4 time. Not recommended for 3/4 time songs.

Sticky Arms and Feet and Think Sing – Pretend to glue your arms to your side, your feet to the floor and think the words of the song in your head.

Dab to This Word – choose a word to dab to. Choose a couple of words, or a theme or words. We did this to the hymn “Choose the Right”, because sneezing “A-CHOO” into your elbow was highly recommended by our medical experts in our daily 11am Covid reports. The children found it amusing to dab to “choose”.

 

Here are the Ways to Sing cards pdf: Ways to sing when you can’t sing cards

The image of the girl whispering is from Susan Fitch Designs. The other images were from free sources on the Internet.

“The Church of Jesus Christ” Primary Song

I love that the song “The Church of Jesus Christ” on page 77 in the Children’s Songbook is all about our testimonies and how we can strengthen them. I think it’s important for our Primary children to understand what a testimony is. A basic testimony comprises of simple “I know”, “I believe” or “I testify” statements. A testimony is not a travelogue about our week, a therapy session with a congregation who can’t escape or a sermon opportunity.

 

Someone in my ward gave a talk recently and said when she was growing up in a small rural branch, she always heard a lady talking about her cows during Fast and Testimony meeting. The lady giving the talk in my ward used to think “I don’t have any cows. I must not have a testimony”. It has stuck in my mind that it’s more important than ever that we teach our Primary children to learn what a simple testimony is, and how we can share it with others. This song is perfect for that.

 

I created two signs you can hold up, to demonstrate whether the words you are singing are a testimony statement, an “I know” or “I believe”.

The other statements are things we can do to strengthen our testimony, and start with “I will” or “I’ll”.

The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-I-Know-and-I-Will-statements

 

Ways to use:

– Print the signs – I print out two copies and paste them back to back so I can see what I’m holding, laminate and stick to large popsicle sticks for you to hold up. The children put corresponding hands in the air whilst singing.

– Print out smaller signs for the children and have them hold up the signs that correlate with what they are singing.

– Write the words up on the board under the corresponding signs and point to them as you sing the song.

 

Here’s the link to the signs:

The Church of Jesus Christ I Know and I Will statements

2017 Pass the Musical Parcel

Needing something to do with the Jnr Primary children after the Primary Presentation, I decided to keep it simple with a 2017 version of Pass the Musical Parcel.

I came up with 8 cards (stick one on the outside layer as well, so they can sing that one as they pass the parcel around).  I did put in a cheap Kmart toy in each layer, and had a container full of toys for the children to take one each as they left to go to their classes.

Make up your own, adding in your own songs, or add in a different action that they need to do while they pass that parcel around.  Our Jnrs absolutely loved the game, and the only issue they had was getting the circle they were sitting in WAAAAY too small.  They were practically sitting on each others’ laps, so I had to keep wiggling them back.

But it was hilarious, and the children were so good.

Here are my 8 cards (yes, they’re different sizes, they’re only going to get torn off and thrown in the bin anyway): Pass the Musical Parcel 2017

Little Seeds Lie Fast Asleep Simplified Primary Song

Little-Seeds-Lie-Fast-Asleep-simplified-musicI have student of mine playing prelude songs before we have Opening Exercises.  The idea is that she gets to practice, the children are able to sing some action songs after having sat through Sacrament Meeting, and it allows the Primary Presidency to get ready.

I simplified Little Seeds Lie Fast Asleep for her.  It’s probably TOO easy for her, but it’s a good one to spring on her when she’s sight reading.

Here’s the pdf: Little Seeds Lie Fast Asleep simplified music

When I Do What’s Right I Feel Good Flip chart

I found a catchy song on the LDS Church website called ‘When I Do What’s Right I Feel Good’ by Margie Lindsay found here: https://www.lds.org/music/library/search?query=When+I+Do+What%27s+Right+I+Feel+Good&lang=eng&x=0&y=0

 

I made up a flip chart to go with it.  My Snr Primary LOVES the song, and I’m sure it’s one we can sing as long as I am Primary Music Leader :-)

Here is my flip chart: When I do whats right I feel good flipchart pdf

In Fasting We Approach Thee Here #139 Duet arrangement

My family was asked recently to do this hymn on Fast Sunday as a musical item.

 

Actually, my entire family was asked to sing it but I have a teenage son who ‘doesn’t sing’ (he’d rather feign sickness than sing a musical item and I prefer he came to church with us), I have a toddler who will sing at the top of her lungs if she’s supposed to be quiet, but she would scream through something like this.  And a husband and teenage daughter who adore singing.

 

I can sing, but who would practice the accompaniment with us at 11pm when my husband is available?  So my husband and daughter were volunteered as tribute, and I spent three weeks trying to get this arrangement together, which is quite a long time for me because…toddler!

 

It’s for Alto (my daughter is a Soprano, but managed this just fine first thing Sunday morning), and Tenor.

Here’s the pdf: In Fasting We Approach Thee

 

 

Dynamics and Italian Terms for Singing Time

I have one child in Primary who loves to torment me (why is there always one?).  Anyways, he said “Why don’t you teach us actual music?”  So I thought “Okay, I will”.  So I quickly made up these Dynamics and Italian Terms cards to use whenever I want to revise a song with the children.

 

Dynamics-and-Italian-Terms-picture-cropped

 

I did do them quickly, and added to them as I went so they’re not consistent.  Here are the secrets:-

 

The Dynamics cards are not back to back on each sheet.  Rather the first side of page 1 goes with the first side of page 2.  The second side of page 1 goes with the second side of page 2…if that makes sense.  Etc.

 

The Italian Terms cards are easier.  They’re on the same page.

 

Cut each little half page out, match it up and laminate.  I stuck a giant paddle pop stick onto one side of a page with sticky tape.  Then I stuck the matching side on with more tape.  Simple but effective.

 

If I were to print them out again, I would do all the Italian Term cards one colour, and all the Dynamics cards a different colour, but I’m not going to waste paper at this point.  Besides, it keeps the children on their toes :D

 

Just to avoid confusion, here are what the fronts and backs of each card is supposed to say:-

DYNAMICS:

P – Piano/Soft

F – Forte/Loud

(Rectangle hanging from a line) – Semibreve Rest/Whole Bar Rest

Sfz – Sforzando/Strong Accent

(Looks like a greater than sign) – Crescendo

(Looks like a less than sign) – Diminuendo

 

ITALIAN TERMS

Staccato – Short and Separate/Detached

Legato – Smoothly, Well Connected

Calando – Gradual decrease in volume and tempo

 

The children absolutely love these, especially Snr Primary.  I generally use two at a time for each verse of a song I want to revise.  I might throw in an extra ‘surprise’ in a verse.  Use Sfz sparingly.

 

Here are the pdf’s of the cards:

Italian Terms for Singing Time 1

Dynamics for Singing Time1

Pokémon Go Sing (Presentation Song Revision)

Aim: To capture each Presentation Pokemon

How to play:

1. Choose one player (can be a child or a teacher). Player walks to the Pokestop sign (I stuck mine up the back of the room on the wall). There will be two piles of cards underneath the Pokestop sign (I put the cards on a chair.  A small table works great too). Turn over a card in one pile to see how many poke balls they can throw. Turn over another card to see which Pokemon character and Presentation song is to be targeted with the poke balls/beanbags and sung at the same time by everyone.  They need to show you the cards, so you can warn the pianist which song they need to play next.

2. Have the larger card Pokemon characters lined up somewhere else in the room. (I had mine out the front). The player has to throw the assigned number of poke balls/bags and see if they can land on the character of the card they turned over at the Pokestop while the rest of Primary sing the Presentation song that goes with that character. If the child/teacher can’t hit it with the assigned number of poke balls, have them hand the pokebag to someone who hasn’t had a turn. Continue until the Pokemon is ‘caught’.

3. Once the Pokemon is ‘captured’, finish singing that song, and choose another child/teacher to start over again until all the Presentation Pokemons are caught.

What to print:

1. Pokemon Go Sing Sign (completely optional)
2. Pokestop Sign (stick this somewhere in the room with a small table in front)
3. Pokemon Characters
4. Presentation Songs
5. Smaller Pokemon Character cards and Poke ball number cards. Put these on the table in front of the Pokestop sign.
6. Backs of cards (optional)

You also need to make or purchase some Poke ball bean bags (or something that will land on the larger Pokemon character pictures.

How to set up:

1. Cut out a Primary Presentation song strip and stick it under a larger Pokemon Character. You can choose which song strip goes with which character. Continue until all your songs are assigned.
2. Cut out cards and backs. I usually paste the front of the cards on to the backs lightly before laminating. I am computer challenged, so I can’t guarantee the fronts will match up with the backs if you try and print double sided. I wouldn’t recommend it. The idea is so that the front of the cards aren’t see through.
3. Wonder how on earth to get Pokeball bean bags. Use any bean bags if you’re stuck. Or Hacky Sacks. Whatever will land on the Pokemon characters.  I hand sewed my own.

 

Variations: The teacher turns over the cards, and has some children help throw the pokeball bean bags.

 

Pokemon characters

Pokemon Go Sing backs for poke ball number cards

Pokemon Go Sing backs for Presentation Song Pokemons

Pokemon Go Sing backs mixed three of each

Pokemon Go Sing cards and backs

Pokemon Go Sing cards characters and poke ball numbers

Pokemon Go Sing sign

Pokestop Poster

Presentation Songs

I played this last week as my last revision before our Presentation Practices, and it was a huge success.  It had the full approval of my Primary Presidency, and EVERY single child was involved, including those who usually do not like to participate.  WOW!

 

The children in my primary didn’t want to sing as someone was throwing the pokebags, so we waited until the Pokémon had a pokebag on it, then we sang the song.  We had one child with special needs (who usually won’t leave their chair) come and acted as a ‘catcher’ each time a pokebag was thrown and missed, and return them to me.  Another returned the ‘caught’ Pokémon pictures to me.  It was a great way to get children with ASD involved!

 

The children did sing the songs beautifully though.  I thought they’d by hyper, but they weren’t.  They were very much engaged the entire time.

 

1 2 3 7